For The Love of Lily
by notjaneausten
Summary: What if the final memories pulled out of Snape in the shrieking shack were not the ones that JKR wrote in the final book? What if the memories revealed a completely different version of events? Read on to find out what really happened between the Marauder's and Severus Snape during that final year at Hogwarts…Rating will change as chapters progress, you have been warned!
1. Prologue - May 1998

**AN: This story is definitely non canon compliant; although there may be some parts from canon that I've slightly skewed in favour of my pairing of JKR's wonderful characters. You may recognise a few selected conversations taken from 'The Deathly Hallows' but it would be a pretty boring read if I quoted chapter headings and page numbers, I'll leave it up to you clever readers to see if you can spot the segments quoted (or perversely twisted for my pleasure)**

**Some chapters will be massively long as I wanted to keep as much of the school year together as I possibly could, while others will just be a few hundred words depending on the 'memory' viewed. The story is almost complete with just a few chapters remaining to finish off – we all know the ending, but how exactly did it all come about? That is the question that will be answered within these pages. **

**Prologue – 2****nd**** May, 1998**

'Stay with us, professor!' Hermione cried out, pressing another pad made out of one of Harry's shirts that Ron had pulled from the depths of her enchanted bag. The gaping wound left by the fangs of Voldemort's familiar, Nagini continued bleeding through the thick material despite the blood replenishing potion that Hermione had poured into the Slytherin Headmaster's mouth. She had muttered the _Vulnera Sanentur_ spell repeated over the professor's prone body in an attempt to stem the flow of blood, but it was having little effect.

'What about Dittany?' Ron dug around in the bag and pulled out a vial of the healing liquid and passed it across to the frantic Hermione, while Harry kept watch for Death Eaters through the cracks in the timbers framing the dilapidated shack.

'Whatever you need to do, you'd better make it fast,' Harry murmured as he rubbed his fingers along the lightning bolt scar on his forehead denoting him as 'the boy who lived'. 'Voldemort looked a little too eager to try out that wand as soon as Nagini struck Snape.'

'I don't know what else to do!' Hermione sobbed as the Dittany failed to close the magical wound and Snape's breathing became more laboured with every passing second. 'The venom has entered his blood stream, as soon as it reaches his heart…' Hermione's voice trailed off as Snape's hand fluttered weakly at his side as he tried to speak.

'Harry…' Snape's silky tones were barely more than a ragged whisper, but it was loud enough for Harry to hear his name falling from the Potions Master's lips; Snape had always referred to him as 'Potter' in that familiar sneering tone that spoke volumes at how much he loathed every syllable. Harry gestured for Ron to keep watching for approaching Death Eaters and the dark haired boy crossed the length of the shack to kneel at his teacher's side. 'Harry…' Snape's hand fluttered to the inside pocket of his black teaching robe but he was too weak to do anything more. Snape coughed harshly and Hermione gently leant over to wipe the blood that trickled over his chin with every breath he took.

_Can you hear me, professor?_ Harry stared into Snape's eyes and the professor nodded weakly, feeling relieved that the boy had paid attention to at least some of his teachings.

_There is a Bezoar stone in the pocket of my robes, along with a small vial of anti-venom_… Snape pushed the vision of the velvet pouch and tiny vial into Harry's mind and nodded weakly as Harry's fingers closed around the items in question. _The Bezoar will help slow the progress of the poison a little, I have been unable to ascertain whether the anti-venom will be of use as it is completely untested. _

'Hermione, Snape says that it might help slow the poison but he doesn't know whether the anti-dote will work.' Harry handed the Bezoar stone and vial over to Hermione, who held the vial up to the light as she studied the shimmering liquid held inside.

'Is this taken directly from Nagini herself?'

_Tell Miss Granger that I managed to extract a little of the venom from an unfortunate victim after they had passed. I'm unclear of how well the stasis charm would have affected the potency_. Snape struggled to push the last of his thoughts to Harry, feeling lightheaded and woozy from the blood loss.

'Hurry, Hermione…he doesn't have much longer!' Harry felt their connection start to drift and was surprised when Snape's eyes suddenly held a moment of clarity and one of the professor's lean hands stretched out to grasp at Harry's hand.

'Take them…' Snape murmured, gesturing to the tracks of silvery tears escaping from his obsidian eyes. 'I'm so sorry, Harry…I tried to protect you both…' Snape's legs and arms suddenly jerked and his body started to tremble with convulsions. Harry quickly rummaged in the side pockets of Snape's robe for a spare flask and used the tip of his wand to capture the silvery strands that were now flowing in a steady stream down Snape's gaunt cheekbones.

'Hermione! The potion!' Harry screamed at Hermione as soon as he had finished collecting the fragments of Snape's memories ready to be placed in a Pensieve for future viewing. Snape's mouth fell open in a silent scream of agony as his arms and legs jerked uncontrollably.

'I've already given it to him!' Hermione yelled back crossly, 'I've used a whole bottle of Dittany, given him more blood replenishing potion than his body could have handled and he's swallowed the Bezoar and the anti-venom potion. The venom's hit his central nervous system and we've just got to wait for the anti-venom to do its job; he'll either fall into a deep sleep within a few minutes or…' Hermione swallowed hard and shook her head instead of finishing her sentence. Harry nodded solemnly and gazed at the silvery liquid contained in the flask.

'What do you think he meant – 'he tried to protect us both?' Harry wondered as Hermione swapped the thick pad she had pressed against Snape's neck for a clean one.

'I don't know, Harry,' Hermione murmured in response as she carefully watched Snape's chest, timing the rise and fall of every breath and heaving a sigh when they finally appeared to even themselves out. 'I think the antidote's working, he's sleeping now.'

'Good,' Harry nodded as Hermione started fastening the many buttons on Snape's frock coat and smoothing his teaching robes around his body. 'What are you doing that for?'

'You've got a Dark Lord to defeat and I've got to get Professor Snape to St Mungo's.' Hermione replied simply, 'Ron will want to check on his family and I'm in no hurry to face Bellatrix again in a hurry. I'll be better placed with the Healers anyway, I can give them a hand with anyone else Madam Pomfrey's sent over from the castle.' Harry thought it over for a few minutes before he and Ron agreed with Hermione's decision; neither one of them wanted to see their friend back in the position she was in at Malfoy Manor when all they could do was listen to her cries of agony at the business end of Bellatrix's wand.

The trio said their goodbyes and both young men watched as Hermione carefully wrapped her arms around Snape's body before disapparating with a small pop. Harry and Ron then gingerly retraced their steps back along the tunnel to the Whomping Willow, before covering themselves with the Invisibility Cloak and hurrying back up to the castle.

'You have fought valiantly,' Harry and Ron stopped in their tracks as the sound of Voldemort's voice echoed through the night air, and Harry realised that he wasn't the only one to hear the cold voice as Ron started trembling at his side. 'You have sustained heavy losses, every drop of magical blood spilled is a terrible waste.'

'Tosser,' Ron mumbled at Harry's side, trying desperately to shake off the feeling that a hundred Dementors were sucking away at his soul.

'Harry Potter…You have allowed your friends to sacrifice themselves in your stead…Meet me in the Forbidden Forest and prove to me that you are not the coward that my followers say that you are.' Voldemort's voice lowered to an almost seductive purr and Ron shivered again as he almost felt the Dark Lord's icy fingers trailing down his spine.

'Don't listen to him, Harry,' Ron urged, yanking Harry's arm to get him moving toward the castle once again. 'He's just trying to goad you into fighting.'

'Yeah…' Harry pretended to agree with Ron, but felt that Voldemort was giving him little choice in the matter. Despite Dumbledore insisting that everything would work out for 'the greater good', only Harry alone had heard the tail end of Voldemort's final words – I shall punish every last man, woman and child who has tried to conceal you from me…One hour.

When the boys finally reached the castle, they decided to split up at the main entrance; Ron to seek out his family and Harry to use Dumbledore's Pensieve. Harry pulled open the door to the Great Hall and what he saw inside made him tug at Ron's sleeve to try and turn him away.

'Ron, mate…why don't you come up to Dumbledore's office with me and we'll take a look at what Snape's memories have to say about the greasy git.' Ron frowned at Harry's choice of words, knowing that Hermione would slap them both around the head for using that particular phrase to describe the potions professor. 'Come on, Ron…what do you say?' Harry's voice held a pleading note as he continued trying to turn Ron away from the Great Hall and the red haired young Weasley finally realised why Harry didn't want to venture further into the room as Ron's gaze caught side of another red headed boy – only this one wasn't saying a word.

'Oh no, not Fred!' Ron pushed past Harry to run over to where a line of still figures were laid out down the middle of the hall. George was lying across the body of his fallen twin, and Molly was sobbing as her hands were brushing the hair tenderly from Fred's brow; his skin nearly translucent as his colour faded. Harry bit back a cry of anguish as he swivelled on his feet and rushed back out into the entrance hall, and racing down the stone steps desperately gulping down lungful's of the cool night air. Faces of the dead were burnt into his memory; Fred, Colin Creevy, Lavender Brown, Remus, Tonks…Harry swiped his hand across his face, barely aware of the angry tears that were falling from his eyes as he ran past Hagrid's burning hut before entering the Forbidden Forest.

'Don't worry, Voldemort…I'm coming for you now.'

Harry slowed his desperate pace as he grew closer to the heart of the Forbidden Forest, he slowed his breathing realising that his harsh pants were almost echoing in the dense undergrowth. His fingers closed around the tiny stone that had been enclosed in the Golden Snitch that Dumbledore had left to him in his will and Harry raised it to his lips, whispering quietly – _I am ready to die._

'Hello, Harry.' Harry opened his eyes and stifled a choked sob at the sight of his godfather, Sirius, standing in front of him dressed in the same velvet waistcoat and black trousers as he was wearing the day he fell through the Veil in the Department of Mysteries.

'Sirius…' Harry stretched out a hand, and saw Sirius do the same; to his great surprise he hit solid matter instead of the insubstantial mist that he had been expecting when faced with a spectre.

'Oh my boy…' Sirius pulled Harry into a hug and pressed his chin to the top of Harry's head. 'I am so proud of you, Harry. You've kept your head and I'm only sorry that I couldn't keep up to my end of the bargain.'

'I've missed you, Sirius.' Harry murmured as he breathed in the comforting scent that always surrounded his godfather; Ogden's Finest Firewhisky, good cigars and just the hint of wet dog fur.

'I mustn't be selfish, there's a few more people that want to say hello.' Sirius reluctantly released Harry from his embrace, but kept one arm flung over the younger man's shoulders not wanting to give up all contact just yet. Harry saw the familiar lean frame of his favourite werewolf taking form and saw that Remus looked as if he had just stepped out of the defence classroom, his tweed suit jacket with patched elbows and a faded cream shirt with dark brown tie – the very outfit he had been wearing when he and Harry had first met on the train back to Hogwarts; although his hair wasn't as thin and there weren't half as many scars peppering his lean frame.

'You've done well, Harry…glad to see my practical lessons are finally being put to good use.' Remus quipped lightly and Harry forced a smile to his face as he shook his friend's hand.

'Remus…I…Your son…' Harry felt immense guilt over the fact that little Teddy had lost not only his father, but his mother as well all in the space of a single evening. 'I never wanted anyone to die for me…'

'Hush Harry,' Remus held up a hand to stop Harry's words and a soft smile crossed the werewolf's face. 'Teddy will grow up hearing that his parent's died doing something they believed in with all their hearts. I hope that you will become the Godfather that Sirius wished he could be for you.' Remus exchanged a soft glance with his fellow Marauder and patted Harry on the shoulder. 'All will be well, Harry.'

'You've been so very brave, darling.' A soft feminine voice floated out from behind Remus and Harry's breath caught in the back of his throat and he choked back a sob.

'Mum?' Harry ran toward Lily and she caught him in her arms as she dropped a tender kiss directly over the scar on his forehead. 'Oh mum…'

'My brave, brave boy…' Lily bent her head slightly to rest her cheek against Harry's unkempt hair, and breathing the scent of her son deep into her lungs.

'Almost there now, son…hold on just a little while longer.' The mellow tones of James reached Harry's ears just a few seconds before the man himself came into view. To Harry it was like looking at an older version of himself; round wire framed spectacles and a shock of untidy dark brown hair.

'Dad…' Harry smiled over at his father and missed the look that Sirius exchanged with Lily over the top of Harry's head.

'Harry…mate…' Sirius started to step forward but James held out a hand in an unspoken plea.

'Not yet, Sirius…please, just a few moments more.'

'Dad? Sirius? What's going on?' Harry picked up on the tension in the air surrounding the adults and Lily wiped a tear from her eye as she looked at her almost full grown son.

'James, we can't wait any longer; we all agreed what had to happen!' Remus stepped forward and shot a look of warning over at James, daring him to interrupt and James gave him a faint nod of agreement; knowing that he couldn't hang on to the dream any longer.

'Would someone please tell me what's going on?' Harry kept his voice low, but everyone in the clearing could hear the note of frustration that would have been a definite shout if they weren't trying to hide their presence. 'It's just that I've got to face the Darkest of all evil in just a few minutes and I'd rather not hang around listening to your petty squabbles all evening!' There was just a hint of sarcasm seeping through Harry's tone and Lily rubbed her son's shoulder, thinking that he had never acted more like his father than he had in that moment.

'Harry, think carefully…Did Severus give you his memories after Nagini struck him?' Remus waited rather impatiently for Harry to answer, and the foursome heaved a sigh of relief when Harry nodded.

'But I didn't get a chance to view them before Voldemort called me out here.' Harry added and Lily exchanged a frantic look with Sirius before the adults huddled together and started talking at the same time.

'What do we do now?' Lily asked Remus before Sirius interrupted with a scornful remark.

'Bloody hell, trust Snivellus to cock everything up at the last moment!'

'Perhaps Harry doesn't need to know…' James looked wistfully over at Harry and Lily shook her head emphatically.

'No! He needs to know everything in order for it to work…We all agreed it was the only way forward, please James…' Lily had tears in her eyes and James felt his heart clench at the sight of the shimmering emerald pools.

'Alright, Lils…Remus, do you think you could?' James gestured over to Harry, feeling unable to tell his son in person what was expected of him when he faced Voldemort. Remus pressed his hand gently to James' shoulder and the group turned around to face Harry.

'This would have worked out far better had you viewed Severus' memories…but never mind that now; it will become clearer as we go along. Harry, we're going to ask you to do something in a short while; think carefully before you agree.' Remus glanced over to see James leaning heavily against Sirius as the other man tried to offer what comfort he could.

'Tell me what I have to do…' Harry squared his shoulders and faced his family for what might be the very last time.

'Dumbledore hasn't been completely honest with you, Harry…there's another Horcrux.' Remus said slowly and saw the horrified understanding dawning in Harry's eyes – eyes that held wisdom beyond his years.

'As I said when I opened the stone – I am ready to die.' Harry repeated firmly, and each one of the Marauder's felt immense pride in the fact that they had each had a hand in helping the young boy become a man.

'You must let snake face cast the first blow…Do not resist, let yourself fall.' Sirius stepped forward and looked directly into Harry's eyes. 'It goes against everything we've ever taught you, Harry; but let Voldemort strike you down; trust in us, everything will be alright.'

'Albus will be waiting for you, and he will offer you a choice.' Lily took over the instructing, stepping close to her son's side and grasping his hand firmly. 'Listen to me carefully, darling…Whatever he says, do not get on the train!'

'Train? What train?' Harry's brow wrinkled in confusion, first they told him to let Voldemort defeat him and now his Mum was wittering on about a train – what kind of spirit guides were they? James gently nudged Lily aside and stood shoulder to shoulder with the younger man.

'Harry, you'll be sent to a sort of waiting room when you first pass over. You are usually met by a family member to guide you through your first few moments; we're all here so Albus volunteered to be your 'conductor' – but he will try and get you to move on to a higher plane of existence, hence the train taking you on. It doesn't have to be that way though, listen to what he has to say but don't take the train; we'll pull you back here as soon as we can…You won't die, but the important thing is that Voldemort has to believe that he has defeated you completely. Do you understand son, Voldemort has to think he has won.'

'I understand.' Harry vowed, and James relaxed slightly as he nodded in agreement.

'If I don't get to tell you later, I am very proud to have been your father, Harry – if only for a little while.' James turned away quickly and made his way back to stand next to Sirius and Harry could see his dad leaning heavily against his godfather.

'You won't be able to see us again until we reach the 'in between', Harry, but we're never more than a heartbeat away from you.' Lily ran her fingers over Harry's cheek and smiled faintly at the rasp of bristles against her fingertips. 'Always remember that I love you very much, as does your father.'

'I love you too, mum.' Harry murmured in response and Lily's eyes held a wealth of sadness that even the loving embrace from her lost son couldn't lift.

'It's time.' Remus called out softly and held out his hand to Harry. 'Give me the stone, Harry; you won't be needing it now.' Harry's fingers tightened momentarily around the stone before he reluctantly passed it across, watching as Remus tucked it carefully within one of the pockets of his waistcoat. Harry smiled tremulously at his family as they slowly faded from view, Lily remaining solid for the longest.

'Forgive me, Harry…' Lily whispered as she faded from sight, and the last thing Harry saw was the tracks of silvery tears streaming down her face as she disappeared.

Harry walked slowly to the meeting point, despite being completely alone he could almost feel the shoulders rubbing against his arm with every step and he felt his courage rising as he stepped into the clearing.

'I knew you wouldn't disappoint me,' Voldemort was the first to spot the new arrival and almost floated over to welcome Harry. 'The boy who lived.'

'Not for much longer!' Bellatrix cackled and her laughter cut off abruptly when Voldemort turned around to hiss at her. Bellatrix lowered her head in servitude and Voldemort was appeased. He turned slowly back to face Harry, his wand tapping against the palm of his skeletal hand.

'Your hour was almost over, Mr Potter…I fear my loyal subjects are doomed to disappointment; they were rather looking forward to tasting a few of your friends.' Voldemort looked around his Death Eaters, and his followers immediately began to laugh quietly, almost on cue. 'Still…there's no reason why we should all be disappointed is there?' Almost too quickly to be seen by the naked eye, Voldemort raised his wand and without Harry even hearing the spell – it was over.

Harry blinked slowly as his eyes adjusted to the brilliant white walls that surrounded him on all sides. It didn't much look like your average train station; more of a large, empty ticket hall. Rising up on rather shaky legs, Harry stood still for a moment to restore his senses. It was completely silent in the cavernous space and when he felt as if his stomach wouldn't empty out all over the pristine flooring, Harry turned around slowly to explore his surroundings.

'Harry, you brave wonderful man.' Dumbledore's quietly voiced sentiment coming from behind Harry sent the young man whirling around to see the beaming former Headmaster restored to his former glory, resplendent in shimmering midnight blue dress robes. 'Words cannot express how proud I am of you…Let us take a walk together and you can ask me anything you wish.' Harry strolled at the Headmaster's side as they left the 'ticket hall' and made their way out to the station platform.

'Did you know that I was the seventh Horcrux?' Harry asked quietly and Dumbledore sighed gently as they walked along.

'I had my suspicions but did not know for certain until Voldemort rose again during your first year at Hogwarts. There is still one left …but I think Godric will ensure that Mr Longbottom has everything he requires to take care of the problem.'

'The snake,' Harry murmured and Dumbledore hummed in agreement. 'Nagini's the last one? You're certain of that?'

'Most definitely, Harry…Nagini holds the last pieces of Voldemort's shattered soul, once she is destroyed he becomes a mere mortal just like the rest of us; capable of being destroyed with a simple Unforgivable.' Dumbledore paused when a large timetable appeared out of nowhere and Harry could hear the distant sound of an old fashion train whistle blowing. 'Hmm…Where to go next?' Dumbledore ran one of his ringed fingers across the faint markings of the timetable and glanced over to Harry. 'I rather relish the idea of taking a trip to visit Merlin in the days at Camelot; care to join me, Mr Potter?' The train whistle blew again and Harry shook his head.

'I can't…I haven't finished what I came here to do.' Dumbledore sighed regretfully as he glanced wistfully at the approaching train and then back over at Harry. He really wanted to see if Merlin was the great wizard that he was reported to be, but knew that Harry deserved to know the complete truth, once and for all.

'Do you remember the sorting hat wanting to place you in Slytherin when you first arrived at Hogwarts?' The Headmaster asked and Harry nodded.

'Yes, I remember saying that I really wanted to be in Gryffindor under my breath and how the hat thought it was funny.'

'That's because the hat recognised your magical core, the sorting hat is not just used for putting students in their correct houses, Harry – it can also recognise bloodlines going back centuries.' Dumbledore said enigmatically as he lifted the hem of his robe free of the step of the train. 'Ask your mother about the day she married your father…you may find that it's something completely different from what you may have already heard.' Dumbledore smiled congenially down at Harry as the train started pulling out of the station down invisible tracks. 'I do hope that we will meet again, Harry Potter; but not for many a year I trust.' Dumbledore waved down from the top of the step before disappearing into the single carriage. Harry blinked once, and the train was gone leaving the station in eerie silence once again.

'It's almost time for you to go back, Harry.' Lily's warm voice echoed through the chamber, and Harry was surprised to see himself back in the ticket hall; only this time it seemed a lot smaller and there was a stone plinth in the middle of the room with a slim basin revolving slowly in the centre.

'Do you still have the memories in your pocket?' Remus stepped into view, and held out his hand expectantly. 'I warn you that it's a little different from viewing a normal pensieve…the whole room becomes the viewing platform but you won't actually be aware that you are looking at a memory or that you are even part of it.'

'Nice going on making things complicated, Moony!' Sirius snorted and casually flicked his hair back over his shoulder as he strolled over to the plinth. 'What Remus is trying to say is that you won't know that once the memories start playing you pretty much become unaware of everything around you; you're not an active player or viewer but you will remember everything that your 'consciousness' has seen.' Sirius glanced over at Lily and raised his eyebrow. 'Or not…Oh bloody hell, let's just tip the thing in and see what happens!'

Harry passed the vial over to Remus and looked around the room for James. 'Where's Dad?' Lily looked a little uncomfortable at her son's question.

'Your dad's decided to sit this part of it out, he finds it difficult to remember some of the things that happened back when we were all at Hogwarts.' Lily held out her hand for Harry to hold onto. 'Don't worry, darling…he's not far away and you'll see him again very soon.'

'Everyone ready?' Remus asked, pausing with the vial hovering over the basin. 'Here we go then…'


	2. Chapter 1 Dec 1970 - Sept 1971

Severus Snape hid behind a large shrub, peering out every now and then to watch the two little girls that lived a few streets over from him playing on the swings. He had seen the smaller of the two girls walking through the meadow, trailing her hand through the flowers and causing them to burst into bloom behind her. He wondered whether the girl was aware that she had magical talents and if so, whether she would receive a letter from Hogwarts like himself. Severus held his breath as the girl with shoulder length auburn hair laughed loudly as she jumped off the swing mid-flight and landed lightly on her feet a few metres away from the swing set. 'Tuney…come and play!' The girl called out and the older sister frowned darkly as she carefully slowed her own swing down so that she could step off without dirtying her patent leather shoes.

'Lily! I'm going to tell mummy…you know you're not supposed to do that stuff outside anymore!' The older girl scolded her younger sister as she saw how Lily was making the tiny buds on the wild rose bush come into flower months too early but Lily just giggled lightly and ran off.

'You're just jealous because you can't do the same yourself.' Severus stepped out from behind the shrub and plucked a tightly furled bud from the bush, closing his fist around the flower and then opening it to reveal a flower in full bloom. 'For you, miss…' Severus lowered his head slightly as he offered the flower to Lily and she giggled lightly as she dipped into a small curtsey.

'Thank you sir, you are most kind.' Lily tucked the flower behind her ear and smiled at the young boy with dark shoulder length hair. 'You live in the house at the end of the lane, don't you?'

'Spinner's End.' Severus waved his hand toward the small terraced houses beyond the playground; the place that the locals referred to as Cokeworth's own 'shanty town'. 'My name is Severus and I'm nearly eleven.'

'My name is Lily and this is my sister, Petunia. I'm nearly eleven as well, but I've never seen you at school.' Lily narrowed her eyes at Severus and placed her hands on her hips in preparation to give the boy a thorough scolding. 'You're going to be in so much trouble with the school inspector when they find out you've been skiving.'

'I've always been home schooled, they know all about me.' Severus quirked his lips at Lily's failed attempt, but awarded her some mental points for effort. 'I'm going to boarding school in a few months though.'

'Oh…' Lily's smile faded as she realised that the only person that she'd had a decent conversation with in ages would soon disappear from her life again. 'I was hoping that we could be friends.'

'Friends? Lily, why on earth would you want to be friends with that creature?' Petunia wrinkled her nose up at Severus's appearance. 'He looks as if he's wearing his mother's old nightgown for starters! And look at that hair!'

'Tuney! Don't be rude!' Lily turned her wrath on her sister, and it was Petunia's turn to feel the heat of Lily's glare. 'How would you like it if someone was mean to you?'

'Well, if you're going to take his side over your own sister then there's nothing more to say!' Petunia huffed in dismissal and stalked away, heading for their neat little house in the far more respectable area on the other side of the playground.

'Do you really want to be my friend?' Severus asked quietly, his dark eyes filled with hopefulness but well versed in the feeling of disappointment that usually followed. Lily laughed lightly as she threaded her small hand over the crook of his elbow and tugged him over to where a massive oak tree sat at the top of the hill.

'Of course I do, silly boy!' Lily led Severus over to where the boughs of the tree were low enough to create a small shelter, hiding them out of sight of the playground. 'I've shown you my secret hiding place, which means we're going to be friends forever and ever!'

'I'd like that,' Severus said quietly, feeling a strange warm in his chest when the girl laid her head against his shoulder. 'I've never had a proper friend before.'

'Well, you've got one now…forever and ever, Severus.'

'Always.'

'Severus! I got it! I got it!' Lily ran over the little hill that separated Spinner's End from the more affluent area of Cokeworth, a rather crumpled piece of parchment fluttering in her hand. Severus met her near 'their' oak tree, the place where the two of them could sit quietly and talk about their developing magical skills.

'Let me see it then,' demanded Severus, his voice already developing its silky smooth resonances. Lily chuckled as she handed the precious parchment over.

'It's probably not much different to yours, Sev. Our birthdays are barely a few weeks apart.'

'Things move slowly in the Wizard World, Lily-pad; I'm looking to see if the letter is different for a witch, than it is for a wizard.' Severus scanned the letter briefly, mentally comparing it to the document safely stored away in under the loose floor board in his bedroom. 'Hmm… Dear so-and-so, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Yours etc…Nope, exactly the same as mine.' Severus flicked the letter back over to Lily who carefully folded it back into precise quarters and slipped it into the pocket of her skirt.

'What happens when we get there, Sev?'

'Mum said that first years get to travel over the lake by boat and then we all get to sit in the Great Hall, the ceiling's enchanted so it shows whatever weather is like outside.' Severus leant back against the trunk of the tree and Lily tilted her head down so that it was resting against his shoulder; her copper colour hair blending in with his black locks. 'We all get to sit under a large enchanted hat and it tells us what House we're going to be sorted into.'

'But what if we're sorted into different Houses, and they take me away from you?' Lily nestled into Severus' side and he chuckled softly as he took one of her smaller hands into his and gently squeezed.

'Do you think that will make any difference to us, Lily-pad? We're always going to be friends, always and forever.'

'You mean that, Sev?' Lily asked quietly, feeling nervous for the first time about going away to school; away from her family and the life that she had known.

'Even if they put me in Slytherin and you in Gryffindor…I'll always be there for you, Lil.'

'Me, too.' Lily smiled sweetly up at her friend and Severus returned her smile with a faint quirk of his lip; smiling didn't come naturally to the young wizard but Lily had slowly drawn him out of his shell during the six months they had known each other. 'I can't wait for September!'

Severus glanced through the doors of every compartment until he saw his Lily-pad sitting in a compartment by herself. He had already changed into his uniform of grey trousers, white shirt and school robes; wanting to rid himself of everything that marked him as coming from a Muggle background.

'This is it, Lily! We're finally on our way!' Severus took a seat next to Lily and nudged her shoulder excitedly, wanting to wipe the look of unhappiness from her delicate features. 'Don't look like that Lily-pad, Christmas isn't that far away; Tuney can't hold a grudge forever.'

'You didn't see the look on her face, she was so upset.' Lily said morosely and Severus wrapped his arm around her shoulder as she turned her face against him and cried quietly.

'Oops! Didn't mean to interrupt…' A voice dripping with amusement warned Severus that they were no longer alone in the compartment and he looked up to see a group of four young boys crammed in the doorway. 'Lads, I think we'd better find somewhere else to sit…Romeo wants to be alone with his Juliet.'

'Sirius, you arse…shove over and let us through; we've been through almost the entire train and everywhere else is taken.' A boy with tousled brown hair nudged Sirius aside and flopped down on the bench seat opposite Severus.

'How'd you do? The name's James and you are…?' James leant forward, extending his hand in greeting and Severus gave him a faintly amused smirk as he returned the handshake.

'Severus Snape…this is Lily Evans; she's feeling a little sad at the moment, but I'm sure she will feel better soon.'

'Peter.'

'Sirius.'

'Remus.' The other three boys introduced themselves one by one, Remus sitting alongside Severus and Lily, with the others sharing the seat opposite.

'Have you known each other long?' James asked, pointing over where Lily had fallen asleep against Severus' shoulder.

'A little under a year; we live near the same town just outside of Manchester; and yourselves?' Severus wasn't much one for casual conversation but felt as though he should at least try to maintain some semblance of politeness, after all they could all potentially end up being sorted in the same House for the next seven years.

'Nah…never met the gits before today.' Sirius felt quite grown up dropping the expletive in the middle of his sentence, if his mother overheard his casual way of speaking he'd be facing certain Howler's come breakfast time; thankfully he was the eldest member of the Black family, his younger brother Regulus not due to come up to Hogwarts for another year. He did have a few female cousins that were older than he, but they had finished their schooling and were busy being prepared by their mother on how to snare a willing husband.

'So, what House are you hoping to be Sorted into?' Peter leant forward in excitement, 'Mother was a Hufflepuff, but I'm rather hoping to avoid that one if I can help it.'

'Not much choice for me,' Sirius tossed his hair back and crossed his legs elegantly in front of him. 'Whole ruddy family tree has always been down the Slytherin line; even had a Headmaster back in the day.'

'You do get to choose,' Severus said quietly, feeling his shoulder growing numb from where Lily was slumped against him. Remus silently handed over his thick winter cloak that he had folded into a square and Severus gently shifted Lily so that her upper half was lying across the two boys; with her head resting against the folded cloak on Severus' lap. 'The hat listens to your innermost desires and sorts you accordingly.'

'Hah! Think I'll have myself a little conversation with the thing when they sit me on the stool; can't get more removed from Slytherin than good old Gryffindor…We could be bunk mates, Jimmy!' Sirius winked over at James who groaned at the thought of facing Sirius first thing in the morning for the better part of the next decade.

'It's almost worth going against family tradition to beg for a place in Ravenclaw,' The Potter family had always been connected to Gryffindor; rather like the Black's with Slytherin. James knew that he was nowhere near clever enough to be admitted into Ravenclaw though, and he rather liked the idea of following in his father's footsteps. 'What about you, Severus?'

'I'm not really that fussy to be perfectly honest, it's enough to be granted admission so I will be thankful for whatever House the hat places me in.' Severus replied quietly with humble reverence and Remus nodded in agreement while the other three boys snorted with amusement.

'Anything from the trolley, dears?' A cheery voice called out through the open compartment door and the four boys glanced up to see a plump, friendly witch pushing a trolley marked as 'Honeydukes Express'. The snack trolley was piled high with assorted snacks from the wizarding world. 'I've got chocolate frogs, pumpkins pasties, cauldron cakes…can I tempt you with anything?' There was a loud grumble emanating from Severus' stomach as the appetising aroma drifting over from the cart reached inside the crowded compartment and his cheekbones took on a ruddy hue as he shook his head, turning his face to look out of the window. His mother had pressed a few precious galleons into his hand before he had crossed over the magical barrier at platform nine and three quarters, Severus hadn't wanted to take the coins knowing that his mother would be in serious trouble with his penny pinching father if he found out that his wife had been stealing funds from the tightly controlled housekeeping budget that he gave her every week. Severus didn't want to waste the galleons on frivolous items from the snack trolley, thinking that he might need to save them if he required additional school supplies during the school year. James sauntered over to the trolley, jangling the coins in his pocket as he hummed under his breath.

'Just a few minutes longer, mum,' Lily wrinkled up her nose in her sleep as the smell of the warm cauldron cakes reached her nostrils. The boys chuckled as she turned her head further into the cloak on Severus' lap and mumbled something about not wanting to be late for the train.

'Lily-pad, we're already on the train,' Severus whispered softly, his hand gently stroking Lily's auburn hair as it formed a living blanket across his lap. 'That's not breakfast you can smell, but cauldron cakes from the snack trolley.' Lily's eyes shot open with a start and she let out a shocked gasp as her green gaze linked with the wry amusement in Severus' dark eyes. She mumbled an apology as she scrambled off Severus' lap and back onto her own seat, smoothing down her clothes with a shaking hand as her face blazed scarlet with embarrassment.

'Oi Sirius, heads up!' James called out from the doorway, and Sirius barely glanced up from the Quidditch magazine he was perusing as his hand shot up in the air to catch the pumpkin pasty and box of Bertie Botts Every Flavour beans that James lobbed over from the trolley. Peter eagerly leant forward to snag a pile of cauldron cakes from the large mountain of snacks cradled in James' arms and mumbled his thanks around a mouthful of warm, flaky goodness. 'Remus?' James held out a small stack of chocolate frogs and Remus took a single chocolate from the pile with a small smile of thanks. 'Go on, take another if you want; there's plenty to go around.' James urged his new friend, having already noted the slightly worn look to Remus' clothing which denoted careful signs of mending on the threadbare elbows.

'One is plenty, thank you.' Remus refused politely, feeling that he didn't want to take advantage of James' generosity. Severus shook his head when offered one of the snacks, and Lily did the same even though their stomachs growled lightly in unison. Neither wanted to deprive James of the sweet offerings and he smiled gently at the pair huddled closely together on the bench.

'Look, I've bought enough to feed an army and it's just going to go to waste if the two of you don't help me out.' James gestured over to where he had laid the spread out on the floor of the compartment, Severus snorted faintly at his remark and jerked his head over to where Peter was already helping himself to several more cauldron cakes with a happy grin. 'Alright, so you're saving Peter from having to owl his mum for replacement robes because his greedy gut has outgrown his first set.' James flicked Peter lightly around the ear and the smaller boy moved back to his seat, not before sneaking away a few more snacks under his arm. Severus glanced over at Lily, who gave him an almost imperceptible nod of acceptance and the tall boy leant down to pick up two of the pasties, handing one over to Lily and keeping the other for himself.

'Thank you, James.' Severus said quietly, and James nodded; already knowing from the way Severus was dressed and his humble attitude that it was probably the first treat the boy had tasted in his short life. Severus nibbled on the edge of his pasty and nearly groaned aloud at the sensations that hit his taste buds, Lily grinned broadly as she happily munched away at the tasty treat; declaring it the best thing she had ever tasted.

'You think that's good, wait until you try a jelly slug or liquorice wand!' James rummaged through the mountain of sweets until he found the ones he was looking for, handing them over to Lily with a grin. 'Ooh, mustn't forget the Fizzing Whizzbees and Sugar Quills…' James tossed a few more sweets onto Lily's lap and she protested with a tinkling laugh.

'I can't eat all of this! My teeth will fall out before I'm thirty.'

'Shove some of it over here then, love.' Sirius curled his finger and gave a grin that would melt more than a few young witch's hearts in the near future. 'None of those liquorice wands though, can't stand the stuff.' Lily passed most of the sweets over the compartment, keeping on a single Sugar Quill for herself and a few of the liquorice sticks for Severus, who tucked the treats into the pocket of his trousers for a later time.

'Time to change, please make sure that you are wearing your school robes by the time we reach Hogsmead station.' A blond haired prefect called out instructions as he walked along the corridors, 'No need to change into your full uniform; standard black school robes over normal clothing will do for tonight.' The prefect stepped into the open compartment. 'First years?' He asked and was met with nods all around, as the five youngsters pulled on their robes over their clothing. 'Nice to meet you all, Lucius Malfoy; fifth year prefect for Slytherin House.'

'James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, Severus and Lily.' James stepped forward and made the introductions as Lucius glanced intently around the carriage.

'Hmm, I sense a few Gryffindors in the making; possibly a Ravenclaw as well…' Lucius grinned at their startled expressions, and tossed back his shoulder length blond hair as he laughed delightedly. 'I'm just kidding! Only the Sorting Hat can tell which House you will enter into. Now, when we pull into Hogsmeade you will be met by the groundskeeper, Hagrid who will take you up to the castle across the lake. Don't be startled when you first see him, he's part Giant so will be larger than your average human. Any questions please feel free to snag either myself or one of the other prefects.' Lucius tapped the shiny badge pinned to the top of his school robes and after nodding around the compartment, left to patrol the rest of the train.

After the Sorting had been completed and the feast consumed, it was a rather quiet Severus that followed Lucius out of the Great Hall with the rest of his classmates. He glanced longingly across at the Gryffindor table where Lily was sitting next to Remus with James, Peter and Sirius as her companions. Lily glanced up just as Severus was about to leave the Hall and sent him a wave and a soft smile meant only for him. Severus lifted his hand slightly and waggled his fingers in return, just enough to acknowledge her greeting but without attracting the attention of the other Slytherins as his House turned the corner and headed down into the depths of the castle where the common room and Slytherin dormitories were location.

'Cheer up petal,' Sirius wrapped his arm around Lily's shoulder and pulled him closer against his warm body. 'It's not the end of the world, you can still see him at breaks and at the weekend.'

'It's not the same,' Lily sighed mournfully, pushing away the last of her uneaten dessert, 'the other Slytherins aren't exactly going to welcome a Gryffindor into their mix. It's silly of me to feel this way, I mean we've only known each other since just the Christmas holidays and I'm acting as if we've been friends forever.'

'It's not silly at all, Lily.' Remus smiled warmly at his new friend and patted her hand. 'I saw the two of you together on the train, and no one would have guessed that you'd only known each other less than a year. Severus will find a way to be with you, he seems like the determined sort.' Lily's face brightened a little as she listened to Remus' comforting words and gained more comfort from them than from the warmth seeping into her side from where Sirius had plastered her against his body. With a faint flush of embarrassment, Lily pulled herself away from the grinning young man and when she noticed the Gryffindor prefects rising from the table, Lily followed suit.


	3. Chapter 2 - Sept 1971 - July 1972

True to Remus' prediction, Severus showed up outside the portrait guarding the entrance to the Gryffindor common early on Saturday morning. Lily was reading quietly curled up in an armchair in front of the roaring fireplace when one of the fourth years, a boy named Archer Smythe popped his head around the corner and gestured over to Lily.

'Hey Evans!'

'Yes, Archer?' Lily placed her finger against the margin to mark her page and looked up from her book. Archer beckoned for her to follow, and Lily carefully set the book down on the small coffee table near the chair and followed the fourth year out into the narrow tunnel leading to the entrance.

'I was heading down to an early morning jog around the grounds when I noticed someone hanging around our portrait, I asked him what he was doing up here and he said he was waiting for you.' Archer stepped up to the back of the portrait and gave it a tap with his wand, causing it to slowly open out into the castle corridor. Lily peeped out of the gaping portrait hole and gasped in delight as she saw Severus sitting propped up against the opposite wall with his head buried in his potions text book.

'Sev!' Lily almost tumbled out of the common room in her excitement and Severus looked up from his textbook with a faint smile at the sound of her voice. He placed the book back into his satchel and rose up from the ground, holding out his hand to help Lily step over the threshold. As soon as both feet were on solid ground, Severus felt the air get forced out of his lungs as Lily threw herself into his arms and hugged him tightly.

'Oof!' Severus grunted as Lily continued hugging him, running her hands all over his arms as if to reassure herself that he was all in one piece and the nasty Slytherins hadn't harmed him in anyway. 'Lily-pad, lighten up a little…honestly woman, you'd think that I was being kept a prisoner against my will or something.' Lily relaxed her grip and forced herself to step back a little, but kept a tight grip on Severus' left hand.

'I've heard terrible things about how the older Slytherins treat first years, how you're locked in your dormitories without any natural light…My poor Sev.' Lily felt her eyes prickling with the sting of tears and Severus reached over with his right hand to stroke her cheek softly.

'All stuff and nonsense, that's just something they make up to scare people.' Severus scolded his best friend lightly for getting drawn into some silly tale. 'Our rooms are below ground, that much is true…but the first year dormitories are partly under the lake and there are tiny lights embedded around the glass of the windows that light up when you touch it with your wand. Sometimes the Mer-folk and the giant squid swim right up to the glass, it's quite beautiful really.'

'So, no shackles and chains hanging from the wall?'

'No.' Severus chuckled a little at Lily's over active imagination, and hugged her to his side. 'There's no musty smell or cold slime dripping from the walls. It is a little on the chilly side, so all of the beds have heating charms embedded in them, it's rather like sleeping under a blanket of warm air.'

'And yet you left all of that luxury to sit outside of my common room at a time when everyone else is sleeping in.' Lily grinned up at Severus and he shrugged slightly.

'I thought that we might grab an early breakfast and then do a little studying in the library. I've found a rather nice alcove near the back that has a little table and two comfortable armchairs; I'm sure we'll be left quite alone.' Severus gently turned Lily in the direction of the Great Hall and was left rather bemused when she suddenly tore herself away from his side to dart back inside the Gryffindor common room.

'Just give me a second to grab my book bag and some spare parchment, remind me to tell you about this rather fabulous charm that I was reading about when Archer told me you had arrived.' Lily called back over her shoulder as her voice grew muffled as she walked deeper inside the common room. Within a few seconds, she appeared back in the frame of the portrait hole, her book bag slung over one shoulder and a smile on her face. 'Let's go!' Severus slipped Lily's book bag from her shoulder and held it in his left hand along with his own satchel, and with his right he reached over to take Lily's hand in his own.

'Is this okay?' He asked quietly, glancing down at their joined hands; and Lily just giggled and leant her head against his shoulder.

'Of course it is, silly boy!' Lily reached up to ruffle Severus' hair playfully, tucking the long strands of his fringe behind his ears. 'We've been together for ages, haven't we?'

'Always,' Severus vowed in a soft murmur, and with their heads bent close together the couple made their way towards the Great Hall for breakfast; where on weekend mornings students were allowed to mingle amongst the tables and didn't have to wear their school robes. After swallowing down a light meal of toast and fruit, Severus guided Lily to the back of the library where the cosy alcove awaited. They passed a few stray older students getting a head start on their exam preparations, but to their surprise they also saw Remus hunched over a length of parchment as he buried himself in a stack of textbooks. Severus smiled thoughtfully as he noted the names on some of the books, ones that he had also intended to research that very day. He cocked his head over at Lily who seemed to know instinctively what he was asking, and without a word spoken between them, they walked over to stand in front of Remus' hunched frame.

'You really would be better off at a table, Remus.' Severus chided gently, plucking the textbook out of the other boys hand and tucking it under his arm. Lily pressed Remus gently back into the chair when he started to rise up and angrily protest the interference.

'Oi!'

'Hush Remus, do you want to get us all kicked out?' Lily glanced over her shoulder at where the librarian witch was frowning at the sudden noise.

'I was trying to read that textbook, wanted to get a head start on potions before class begins properly next week.' Remus groused lightly, folding his thin arms over his sparse frame; he was eating better at Hogwarts than he ever had in his whole life, but years of forced and rather painful monthly transitions made it difficult for him to build up any layers of fat in his body; leaving him slightly underweight with a slightly malnourished look. Dumbledore was fully aware of his little problem and ensured that all of Remus' meals were enhanced with a powerful potion to increase the nutritional value, it would take time but Remus would build up the strength and endurance required to make the transitions grow more tolerable with each passing month.

'Come on then, our Saturday will be over with before we know it, if we just sit here doing nothing.' Severus had gathered up all of Remus' chosen textbooks and Lily had picked up the scattered parchment and quills from the floor surrounding Remus' chair.

'But all of the tables have been taken, and we can't check some of those books out of the library.' Remus followed Severus deeper into the heart of the library, passing countless shelves of books and students hunched over their textbooks. Severus turned the last corner, and at the very back of the library there was a dark alcove that was miraculously unoccupied; perhaps it was the fact that the alcove was situated in the section devoted to poorly written books relating to Muggles, but written by wizards; that made the area so very unappealing. Severus flicked his wand at the gas lights on the wall, and they flared a little brighter at his softly spoken command.

'This is just perfect,' Remus breathed out contentedly, settling himself in one of the three armchairs at the table. 'Severus, you're a genius.'

'Thank you,' Severus accepted the accolade with a haughty nod and then grinned widely when Lily noisily knocked over the stack of textbooks perched precariously on the edge of the table. All three of them hunched their shoulders, nervously awaiting the arrival of Madam Pince yelling at them to get out; but after a few seconds of anxiety they realised that they were too far away from the front desk to be noticed. Lily heaved a sigh of relief and pulled a copy of the Potions textbook out of her book bag.

'I think we should read each chapter in advance and try to research more about the individual potions from the library books; we can then write a brief summary and that way we'll be prepared for any questions thrown out during the class or with our homework assignments.'

'Good idea, I knew I was friends with the two of you for a reason.' Remus ducked out of the way when Severus lobbed a parchment airplane at him and after a few minutes of silliness, the three students diligently bent over their textbooks and soon the only sound in the air was the scratching of quill over parchment.

When Monday's first lesson came around, and the two Houses met in potions class; Professor Slughorn was suitably impressed with the keen insight shown by the two Gryffindors and the Slytherin, granting them ten house points each for correctly identifying the ingredients displayed on the table at the front of the class. After that initial lesson, the Saturday morning study sessions expanded to include Charms, Transfiguration and History of Magic; the Transfiguration lessons taking place out near the lake in fine weather or in an empty classroom if it was raining.

By the time Christmas came around, Lily and Severus were tied for top place with Remus only a few points behind. The three of them were reading quietly in their alcove when the sound of a throat clearing alerted them to the fact that their hiding place had been discovered. Severus turned slowly around and his tense shoulders relaxed when he saw that it was only James and Sirius leaning against the library shelves.

'Alright lads?' Remus looked up from his study of ancient healing techniques and quirked his brow in James' direction. 'What brings you out of your cosy nests at…' Remus cast a quick tempus charm, 'barely nine in the morning?'

'That for a start…' James blustered as he flapped his hand at Remus' almost casual casting of the third level charm. 'How? When? There's me and Sirius getting all sorts of Howlers from our parents at our miserable grades and the three of you are strolling into every lesson already knowing half the answers!'

'Ever wonder how the professors come up with their lesson plans, James?' Lily asked casually as she hefted a weighty volume in her hand; 'The Standard Book of spells' by Miranda Goshawk, a first year required textbook.

'No idea, petal.' James replied blithely, sharing a grin along with borrowing Sirius' nickname for their red haired friend.

'From the textbooks, you dolt!' Lily lightly bopped James over the head with the spells book and he rubbed the reddened area with his fingers. 'Which you would know, had you cracked open the cover at least once!'

'Violence is never the answer, Lily-Pad.' Severus plucked the volume from his girlfriend's hand and gently rubbed her shoulder, instantly soothing her ire.

'Wait a minute…' Sirius narrowed his gaze at the pair and straightened up from where he had been leaning against the wall. 'Are the two of you some sort of couple now?'

Remus chuckled softly from the other side of the table and shook his head in a disbelieving manner. 'Have the two of you been living under a rock for the past three months? Lily and Severus have been dating since we got to Hogwarts, I feel like a bit of a third wheel on their Saturday 'dates' half of the time; especially when they stop talking and just sit there staring at each other.' He made a face at Severus when the other boy snorted at his phrasing and carried on; 'Anyway you never said what brings you to this part of the library.'

'I wasn't even aware that Potter knew where the library was,' Severus drawled sarcastically and ducked laughingly when James swung his book bag in his direction.

'I'll have you know, that I've always known where the library was,' James sniffed haughtily, 'I've just never had the occasion to visit before now.'

'We followed you.' Sirius said suddenly, looking down at his hands and picking at a piece of loose skin around his cuticle. 'I thought that you had to be sneaking off for a private tutoring session somewhere and wanted you to hook me up for a bit of the same. I can't keep getting those Howler's off Mum; they're getting pretty embarrassing.'

'As you can see, we have no tutors.' Severus waved his hand elegantly around the cramped alcove. 'We just read the lessons in advance and do a bit of accompanying research.'

'Our homework practically writes itself,' Lily chortled gleefully, and nudged Severus in the side, 'leaving plenty of time for other activities.'

'Urgh! Spare us the thought of the two of you sneaking off for a snog in the broom cupboard.' Sirius pointed his finger at the back of his throat and made a gagging noise, James grinned in response while Severus just felt his cheeks burning with flames of red.

'If the two of you are serious about joining us for our study sessions, there will be no mucking about.' Remus carefully marked his page with a scrap of parchment and laced his fingers over the top of the closed book. 'We are currently studying Charms, Transfiguration, Potions and the History of Magic; but I think that Lily is rather hoping to expand into other areas once we start working toward our end of year finals.' Remus glanced over for Lily's opinion and when she nodded he turned back to his friends. 'I gather Peter has decided not to support your academic endeavours?'

'Nah, his parent's don't appear too bothered with his Dreadfuls or even his Trolls. Mum's threatening me with Durmstrang for getting Acceptable's, it's probably Azkaban for me if I ever got a Troll.' Sirius looked down at his feet, allowing his black hair to fall in front of his face covering his miserable expression. He hated the thought of being sent away to Durmstrang and if it meant giving up his Saturday morning lie in followed by a quick flying session around the lake, then so be it. He looked up with an expression of determination on his face as he walked over to sit on the floor beside Remus. 'So, what are we working on now?' Remus reopened the Charms book and smoothed out the pages, as Lily nudged a piece of parchment across the table as Remus began to read.

'The softening charm, otherwise known as _Spongify _is a spell which softens a target area or object…' From the corner of his eye, Severus saw James edge closer to the table and with a brief look of understanding, edged his copy of the textbook over to James, deciding that he would just share Lily's book for the time being; the fact that it gave him another opportunity to snuggle closer with his girlfriend was just an added bonus.

'Mr Potter, Mr Black…a word if you will.' Professor McGonagall, Head of the Gryffindor House halted the two dorm mates just as they were about to leave the common room for the end of term feast.

'We'll save you a seat!' Remus called back as Lily impatiently tugged on his sleeve, wanting to get a seat close to the Slytherin side of the hall so that she could be near Severus. James and Sirius eyed their Professor carefully as she walked over to stand near the fireplace.

'I cannot tell you how many letters I have received from your parents over this past year, telling me how disappointed they were in your progress. Yes, Mr Black I am fully aware of your mother's threats to send you off to Durmstrang in the autumn term…but I can happily say that is now fully in the realms of fantasy.' McGonagall gave each boy a warm smile as she pulled a length of parchment out of the pocket of her robes. 'I am amazed at the progress the pair of you have made over the last few months; you have managed to improve your grades in nearly every subject. Mr Potter, you have ended the year with two Outstandings, one Exceeds Expectations and four Acceptables. Mr Black, you have ended the year with one Outstanding, three Exceeds Expectations and three Acceptables…I think the two of you owe Miss Evans, Mr Lupin and Mr Snape a great deal of thanks; they have managed to prise the pair of you up from the bottom slots of your year group, right up to the middle; the three of them share the top spot this year, but I have my hopes that the two of you may one day rise up to join them if you carry on working hard.'

'How on earth did you know that we were all studying together?' James' mouth gaped open at McGonagall's chortle of laughter.

'Oh Mr Potter, you will find that very little goes on in this school without the Professor's knowledge; who do you think suggested that little alcove to Mr Snape in the first place?' McGonagall saw the time on the large ornate clock hanging above the fireplace and shooed the two students out of the common room. 'Go on, away with the pair of you otherwise we'll miss the Headmaster's speech!' The three of them hurried down the stone staircases, which for once were not up to their usual tricks of shifting about just as you were about to step off; and they entered the Hall just as the scarlet and gold banners unfurled around the head table, denoting the Gryffindor as the winners of that years cup. Sirius and James joined in with the applause and laughter at their House table, but James managed to catch Severus' eye and gave him a smile of deep felt gratitude, Severus nodded slightly in acknowledgement and James vowed to shower the Slytherin with treats from the trolley when they all headed back to London the next day.


	4. Chapter 3 - Sept 1972 - Jul 1973

The friendship between the five students only grew deeper when they returned to school for their second year. No one commented when Lily and Severus arrived at the station together or when they practically shared the same seat on the train; both wanting to make the most of their time together before circumstances forced them apart once more. James and Sirius tried to persuade Peter to join their study sessions, but the plump boy just didn't seem at all bothered that he was barely making a passing grade; his level had improved slightly toward the end of the year, but that was partly due to the fact that he had been secretly copying great chunks of James' homework and submitting it under his own name.

Things changed slightly over the October half term when Lily finally pieced together what had been puzzling her ever since the middle of the first year. Remus had gone home for the holidays to visit with a sick uncle and it was only Sirius, James, Severus and herself in the Gryffindor common room; Lily having obtained permission from McGonagall to have Severus stay in the boys dormitory with them as he was the lone Slytherin student staying over in the castle. The small group had been lazing in front of the fireplace, James and Sirius debating the strengths and weaknesses of the new brand of broomsticks on the market – the Nimbus, versus their favoured brand, the trusty Firebolt.

Severus was stretched out along the couch, his head lying against a pillow on Lily's lap when she suddenly uttered an ear splitting shriek and he nearly toppled off the edge.

'That bloody stupid git of a boy! I knew there had to be a reason, I just knew it!' Lily tossed the book she was reading over to Severus, 'Chapter fifteen, and page three hundred and ninety four.'

'_Fantastical Beasts and Where to find them_? A little light reading, Lily-pad?' Severus noted the title of the book and grinned over at his girlfriend, his smile fading when she growled angrily at him and gestured toward the book.

'Just bloody read it and you'll see why I'm so angry!' Severus nodded and flipped through the pages until he found the passage that Lily had magically highlighted.

'Oh shit…' Severus glanced up at Lily and saw the tears pooling in her emerald eyes.

'Sev…we're supposed to start that stuff next term, the Professors must know surely? How can they make him sit through that stuff? It's horrible, simply horrible…' Lily burst into tears and Severus tossed the book over to James who read the marked passage out loud.

'Lycanthropy is a magical illness known to be spread by contact between saliva and blood: thus when a transformed werewolf bites a human, the bitten will become a werewolf themselves. A werewolf cannot choose to transform and will no longer remember who they are and kill even their best friend given the opportunity once transformed.' James looked up from the marked passage and saw Lily sobbing against Severus' shoulder, the taller boys' dark eyes were damp as well.

'Keep reading, you'll figure it out in the next passage.'

'Though they can live otherwise normal lives, on every full moon a werewolf will go through an incredibly painful transformation from a human to a wolf-like creature…' James paused for a moment, a look of stark horror crossing his face as he came to the same painful conclusion as Lily and Severus had made just a few moments ago. 'Oh, Hell's teeth no!'

'It all adds up,' Lily blew her nose loudly and her voice sounded thick as she pointed over to the book again. 'All of those lessons that he missed because he was feeling under the weather; the sudden trips home to visit a 'sick uncle'…Remus doesn't even have an uncle!'

'Wait a minute!' Sirius leapt up from the floor and started pacing around the common room, his dark hair streaming out over his shoulders as he walked. 'Are you seriously trying to get me to believe that my roommate is a savage beast controlled by the phases of the moon? You're barmy the lot of you… Remus is a quiet and gentle soul that won't even eat a sugared butterfly because he thinks they look too lifelike; and you're asking me to believe that once a month he roams the woods thirsting for blood?'

'Not at all, quite the contrary really.' Severus gestured down for James to pass the book back up and skimmed through the text looking for a particular passage; 'They lose the ability to think in a human way, becoming highly aggressive toward humans – even those to whom they are close.' Severus glanced up at Sirius and raised his brow. 'Remus is never around the three days of the full moon; he chooses to make himself scarce as he doesn't want to inadvertently injure someone that he is close to; does that sound like a blood thirsty beast to you?'

'Read that section a little further down, Sev…I've come up with an idea.' Lily urged Severus to read more and he gave her an indulgent glance before reading on.

'Without any humans nearby to attack, or other animals to occupy it, the werewolf will attack itself out of frustration. This leaves many with self-inflicted scars and premature aging from the difficult transformations.' Severus finished the passage and held up a hand to prevent Lily from speaking. 'I know exactly what you are going to suggest, and you are seriously off your rocker if you think I'm going to let you just wander out to snuggle up with a bloody werewolf!'

'Calm down, Sev…You said it yourself 'without any humans or animals'' Lily jabbed her finger at the page and smirked a little as she pulled another book from the small stack of reading material that she had set aside for the holidays. 'We're going to be studying it from next year anyway, might as well get ahead of the game.'

'Animagi?' Sirius cocked his head to study Lily's rapt expression. 'You want us to study to become Animagi so that we can prance around in the moonlight while Remus chases us around for a bit of sport? I agree with Sev, you're off your rocker.'

'You guys must have seen the scars on his hands and arms?' Lily set the book down on the coffee table and leant forward to make her appeal. 'He must have ones that are far worse than that, it clearly says that without a distraction the werewolf will choose to injure himself…do we really want Remus to have to go through that alone for the rest of his life?'

'I think I'm gonna go for something big,' James puffed out his chest and attempted to pump a muscle up in his scrawny looking arms.

'Seeking a little compensation for mother nature's failings, Potter?' Severus drawled out from the couch and chuckled when James nearly swallowed his tongue in his embarrassment. 'Never mind, James…It's not the size, it's…'

'What you do with it that counts.' Sirius flopped himself onto the edge of the couch, forcing Severus and Lily into closer proximity, which Severus solved by pulling Lily onto his lap leaving more room for Sirius to sprawl more comfortably. 'I'm thinking something along the lines of a large shaggy dog…I always wanted one as a kid, but Mum said that they were too much like a Muggle thing.'

'I haven't decided what I want to be yet, the book mentions something about letting your form choose you.' Lily snuggled into Severus' warm embrace and he tightened his arms around her.

'I'd like to be able to fly, so it has to be something with wings.' Severus murmured quietly, voicing his desire. For years he had dreamt of being able to soar high in the clouds, far out of reach of the angry grasp of his abusive father.

'Well, you seem to like living in the dungeons; so why not a bat?'

'Hmm…that could be interesting, but a little too small for our purposes. I was thinking along the lines of a Nighthawk; small enough to get out of trouble fast but not too small to be irritating. They are nocturnal which useful, apart from owls and some micro bats there aren't a lot of birds that are active during the night.' Severus flicked through the guide to becoming an Animagus and hummed lightly under his breath as he lost himself within the technical data.

'I still say I want to be something big…what if Remus goes all schizoid on our asses and you're a cuddly puppy and Severus here is flapping his wings in a panic? You'll be grateful that I can pound him into the dirt then.'

The group spent the rest of the holiday trying to come up with more and more outlandish suggestions for James' Animagus form; elephants, dragons, lions, bears…James rejected them all before settling on something he felt was truly majestic…a massive stag complete with a full set of antlers.

'Wow, you've got your work cut out for you there, James.' Lily chuckled as they gathered around their usual table at the back of the library on the day before Remus was due to return. 'Larger animals are far more complex a transition and you've only made it harder on yourself as you've blocked out any potential forms that your body may be naturally inclined toward. I've decided to just go with the flow and if I end up being a mouse or a unicorn, well that's fine with me.' The group had decided not to inform Remus of their extra efforts on his behalf, not wanting to get his hopes up if they failed in their endeavours. Lily and Severus were also researching possible relief from his condition in the potions world as Severus had heard about an experimental treatment using the wolfsbane plant, the potion hadn't been fully released by the Ministry as yet but Severus had somehow already managed to obtain a small sample via their potions professor so that they could work on trying to break down the active ingredients to try and recreate the potion themselves. Knowing how slowly things moved in the wizarding world it could very well be decades before the potion was made available to the werewolf community, and probably at a hefty price to boot.


	5. Chapter 4 - Sept 1974 - July 1975

The next two years seemed to pass in a blur, the study group keeping their grades up as well as practising their transformations into Animagus form whenever they had the opportunity. Severus was the first to succeed, transforming into his Nighthawk form and soaring high up into the clouds. Everyone else had decided on a four legged creature, James with his stag; Sirius with a large black dog that looked like an Irish Wolfhound, and Lily with a small brown fawn; the only form that had seemed to stick with her while she spent hours patiently coaching James in sustaining his stag transformation. She was a little disappointed, having rather hoped to have chosen another winged creature in order to spend more time with Severus; but it worked out quite well as his Nighthawk would swoop down and hitch a ride on her small back or when he was feeling mischievous would leave a small white present on James' antlers as a parting gift. At the same time as working on their Animagus forms, the group had pooled their knowledge in Charms work and created a map that, when activated with a specific key phrase, would show the whereabouts of every living thing that walked around the confines of the castle. The self-proclaimed 'Marauder's' had used the map on many an occasion to avoid being detected by prefects patrolling the corridors; or in the case of Severus and Lily, whose budding romance was still going strong in their fourth year – to avoid being seen by other Slytherins as their relationship would have caused an uproar throughout the House as rivalry within Hogwarts was at an all-time high.

When the day, or rather night, finally arrived Severus as lead Marauder pulled a piece of blank parchment from the pocket of his trousers and tapped it with his wand.

'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.' Patches of black ink began to slowly appear across the pages and the group crowded around the now visible greeting.

_'Messrs Moony, Bushtail, Padfoot, Prongs and the Dungeon Bat are proud to present_

_THE MARAUDER's MAP'_

Across the folded crease was a beautifully inked sketch of the castle, courtesy of Remus; Severus and Lily had provided the Charm work while Sirius and James had volunteered to seek out a detention with Filch just so that they could lay their hands on a copy of the floor plan of the castle. The whole thing had been nearly eighteen months in the making but what a sense of satisfaction as they now gathered around the map to see if they could spot their friend.

'Look, there's Pomprey and McGonagall taking him down to the edge of the grounds. It must be the Whomping Willow … We already know that there's a tunnel into Hogsmeade directly below the tree; it has to be the Shrieking Shack.' Sirius jabbed at the trail of footsteps leading out of the castle grounds, which promptly disappeared as soon as the trio entered the tunnel. 'I say we head down there and Sev and I will transform to get the lay of the land. We're both normal enough looking to slip in undetected …If we're right Sev will let out a call and we'll get Remus to transform outside.'

'We'd better get a move on, look …' Lily leant under Severus' arm and pointed at the two trails of footsteps leading back into the castle grounds. 'The Professors are already on their way back, we don't want to cross paths with them.'

'Let's take the shortcut past Hagrid's hut, transform as soon as we're out of sight and skirt around the edge of the forest.' Severus let his finger trace the path he had in mind and his three companions nodded in agreement. He tapped his wand against the parchment again and murmured a brief incantation to render the map as useless as a scrap of parchment, before tucking it in the pocket of his trousers. It was only through trial and error that the group had found out that their clothes and items on their person did not simply disappear when they transformed into their Animagi form; it was just as though whatever they were wearing became part of their transformation. Sirius and James had insisted that it didn't work that way and for months would strip off all their clothes before beginning their transformation, only to find themselves stuck outside the castle completely starkers and without a wand, when they were unable to sustain their form.

The quartet snuck out of the castle itself huddled underneath the confines of James' birthday present from his father – a cloak of Invisibility. In order for all four of them to fit, Severus carried Lily on his back and Sirius did the same for James, moaning all the while that Quidditch practise made James heavier with the muscles that he had developed through rigorous training. Once they were safely past Hagrid's hut, the four took on their Animagi forms and made their way along the edge of the forest.

Padfoot stretched up on his hind legs and pushed at the secret knot with his front paw, and the tree immediately stopped trying to whoop the living tar out of every one that got close enough to touch. Severus swooped down and flew along the tunnel, with Padfoot following close behind. Prongs and Bushtail waited impatiently near the entrance for either Remus to emerge or their friends.

'I can't believe that you guys did this just for me,' Remus crawled shakily out of the tunnel, with Sirius in his human form walking at his side.

'It was tough going, thought about quitting a few times when it got really difficult.' Sirius admitted, running his hand through his shaggy hair style. 'It was all down to Lily and Severus coaching us along that made it possible. Lily's the fawn over by the tree, that's James as the stag …' Sirius held out his arm and a dark bird swooped out of the sky to land gently on his forearm. 'This is Severus …he's a Nighthawk; viscous little bugger with a beak that will cut you into ribbons if you get too close …and I'm just a fluffy old puppy dog.'

'I don't know what to say …' Remus shuddered a little as he felt the moon pulling at his body, urging him to transform.

'You don't have to say anything, mate.' Sirius patted Remus on the shoulder and Dungeon Bat let out a piercing call as he flew off to perch gently on the fawn's back. Sirius winked at Remus before shaking his hair out around his head, and almost instantaneously he was doing the same thing, but as Padfoot.

Remus arched his back as his muscles began to contort and reshape themselves as his transformation began. His finger and toe joints began to lengthen and extra joints appeared as sharp claws sprang out instead of fingernails. Remus let out a high pitched cry of pain that echoed up into the night sky as he felt his jaw break and remould itself into a muzzle shape as his teeth sharpened. Falling to the ground, Remus curled into himself as his body began to writhe and twist into odd formation, before stretching out into a fully formed werewolf.

The wolf raised his muzzle into the air and took a deep sniff; there was something different in the air that night, different from what he had scented before. Senses heightened after the change, the wolf dropped down into a crouch and his hackles rose up as he heard the snap and crackle of branches being broken under foot. Something warm and furry nudged at his side, and his head whirled around in a purely instinctive manoeuvre; as a low growl emanated from his throat.

The black dog lowered his head almost to the ground, acknowledging the werewolf as Alpha male and the dog let out a soft whine as the werewolf nuzzled his cheek against the dog's shaggy coat.

_Padfoot?_ The wolf let out a whine as the name flittered across his mind but he didn't quite understand why.

The black dog gave a sharp bark of acknowledgement and the wolf tilted his head to the side as he tried to make contact again with the shaggy dog. _Padfoot?_

_Yes! It's me, Moony_

_I am the one you call Moony? _

_Yes! That's right, you are Moony, I am Padfoot and our friends are Bushtail, Prongs and the Dungeon Bat_ the dog's tail wagged happily as the wolf seemed to accept their presence around him.

_I wish to run_

_Then we will run_ Padfoot let out a bark and led the way deeper into the Forbidden Forest, the werewolf, stag and deer following at his heels. The quartet spent hours roaming the forest with the Dungeon Bat flying above their heads, only returning back to the willow when the sky began to lighten with the approaching dawn.

_It is nearly time for me to sleep_ Moony nipped lightly at Padfoot's shoulder, forcing the wolfhound to stop messing around with the willow and enter the tunnel. _I can feel the human trying to push through_

_It's goodbye for now but we will return on the next full moon_ Padfoot promised and the werewolf sighed heavily as he slumped over the bed in the corner of the shack, and Padfoot gripped the edge of the blanket in his teeth and pulled it over the shivering creature.

_See you soon, Moony_ Padfoot walked softly over to the trapdoor in the floor and jumped down into the tunnel. The four friends quickly returned back to their human form and Severus pulled out the map to check whether it was safe for them to return.

'If we hurry, we should make it back just after Filch makes his last patrol around the entrance hall. We need to move fast though, before the Professors come down to check on Remus.' Severus tucked the map back into his pocket and they set off for the castle, each feeling worn out from the night's excursion and thanking Merlin that it was Sunday and they could sleep in. They snuck in through the secret entrance and parted ways in the shadows of the hall, Severus leaning over to kiss Lily gently before he silently slipped down to his dormitories in the dungeon; leaving James and Sirius to escort his girlfriend back to Gryffindor Tower.


	6. Chapter 5 Sept 1975 - July 1976

**AN: Things are going to start turning a little darker now, as our little group enters their fifth year; if you remember in canon terms Harry has already been through the Tri Wizard tournament at this age so it's only fair that Lily and the gang have their own little coming of age angst to face as well. I've gone back over and edited my original chapter rather heavily as I remembered that Harry is viewing all of this with his mum at his side and I'm sure Snape wouldn't have wanted the young man to see 'everything' that happened between himself and Lily!**

Severus and Lily had grown ever closer as their fifth year at Hogwarts started drawing to a close. They had both turned sixteen that January and were both finding it increasingly difficult to resist their teenage urges. Sirius and James had started talking loudly whenever they approached the empty classrooms on the third floor, as it was there that Lily was fond of dragging Severus off too whenever they needed a quiet moment together.

The couple were in the classroom together one Monday afternoon after being released early by Slughorn to work the Arithmantic equations required for their almost complete Wolfsbane potion. Severus had been unusually quiet but Lily chose not to say anything, knowing that if something was bothering him, he would tell her in his own time. After working solidly for two hours, Severus set down his quill and looked over the results once last time.

'I think that's it, do you want to test it again?' Severus pushed the parchment over to Lily who just glanced at it briefly before pushing it aside.

'I trust you, Sev,' she replied softly and leant her head against his shoulder, missing the wince of pain that flickered over his face at her action. She did not however mistake the hiss of pain that escaped through his teeth as she rubbed her hand over his back. Moving back slightly on the bench, Lily frowned anxiously at her boyfriend. 'What is it Sev? Are you having second thoughts about the potion? Or is it us?'

'Circe no, Lily!' Severus immediately swung a leg over the bench and pulled his frowning girlfriend into his arms, pressing a loving kiss against her forehead and breathing in the sweet scent of her hair. Lily let out a relieved sigh and wrapped her arms around his waist, squeezing him lightly only to release him immediately when she heard the same involuntary hiss.

'Start talking, Severus!' Lily scooted back and glared angrily at Severus and he knew that when she called him by his full name, Lily meant business.

'It's nothing, Lil honest,' Severus tried to shrug off the soreness plaguing his back but Lily continued to glare at him as her fingers tapped against her wand warningly. 'Alright, I had a little accident on my way back from the showers last night and banged myself up a little.' Severus told Lily part of what happened, glossing over the fact that his fellow housemates had 'helped' him to get that way in the first place; Mulciber and Avery hissing that Severus shouldn't have ignored the Owls sent to him by Lucius Malfoy and that a true Slytherin would have accepted his generous offer months ago. They had used their fists and feet to deliver a personal message; the Dark Lord is not to be ignored, after kicking him hard in the kidneys, Avery had leant over to whisper quietly into Severus' ear that it hadn't escaped their notice that Severus was spending far too much time in the company of the Gryffindor's and he only hoped that he would come to his senses before the Dark Lord sought his own personal brand of vengeance.

'Take off your shirt and show me,' Lily demanded, her eyes blazing brightly with fury. She was well aware of what the rest of their year thought of their not-so-secret relationship, but she had never thought that the Slytherins would stoop so low as to physically attack one of their own. Severus tried to protest, even though his fingers were already working on opening the buttons of his white school shirt.

'Oops …Come along, Rem I think we're a tad too early,' Sirius strolled into the classroom with Remus at his side, having come along to see how things were developing with the potions. Remus nearly crashed into Sirius' back as the other boy stopped suddenly and started tugging on his sleeve. Remus' senses however had picked up the metallic tang of blood in the air and his keen nose did not detect the scent of arousal which usually hung around the couple.

'Sweet merciful Merlin!' Remus cried out in horror as the full extent of Severus' injuries came to light as Severus was shocked out of dropping the mild glamour charm that he had cast over himself to hide the black eyes and swollen cheekbone, along with the dark bruises that anointed his lower torso. 'Are those …boot prints?' Remus pointed a shaking finger at the vivid purple bruise that was darkening under the surface of Severus' thin skin and the young werewolf swallowed hard as the acidic tang of bile tickled the back of his throat.

'Give me a name, Sev,' Sirius let out a low growl and Remus placed a hand on his forearm, warning Sirius not to let his animal form take control. Sirius shook off his hand and stalked over to cup Severus' jaw in his hand, twisting his face from side to side as his wand traced a path in the air over his form. 'No broken bones that I can make out, but you're likely to be pissing blood for a few days as they've got a few good kicks in your kidneys.'

'That much I know already,' Severus managed a small smile and shrugged back into his shirt, with Lily's careful hands bringing it up over his shoulders. Severus stole a look into her eyes, and saw them glinting with unshed tears and he cupped his hand over her fingers giving them a tender squeeze. 'A few days before we came back to school in the Easter holidays, I received a visitor at home,' Severus said quietly, feeling comforted by the touch of his girlfriend's warm skin against his fingers, as he let her fasten the buttons on his shirt. 'It was Lucius Malfoy and he wanted to invite me to a social gathering at Malfoy Manor during the summer.'

'Malfoy? But they're – ' Remus swallowed hard and couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.

'Death Eaters and known supporters of You-Know-Who? I know. Mum was furious with him for visiting me at home, I just thank Merlin that Dad wasn't around to see it.' Severus sighed heavily and sank back down onto the bench, pulling Lily against him and seeking comfort from her presence.

'What interested him in you, do you think?'

'It seems our dear professor Slughorn has been running his mouth off to his friends, telling them all that a mere fifth year has managed to wipe out Lycanthropy as we know it. It seems the Dark Lord is in need of a potioneer as his last one came to an unfortunate demise.'

'No, Sev!' Lily buried her head against the side of her boyfriend's neck, and Severus could feel her slim body tremble against him. He ran his hands slowly along her back and felt the heat of her tears soaking into the sleeve of his shirt.

'Ssh, Lily-pad, I'm not going anywhere,' Severus crooned softly as he turned Lily slightly so that she was lying across his lap but his girlfriend was lost in her own despair and just cried harder. Severus glanced pleadingly over at Remus who nodded slightly before taking out his wand and casting a light calming charm over Lily's body, which sent her into a light sleep. Severus transformed the hard wooden bench into a soft chaise, and gently laid Lily down. He tucked his school robe around her body, gently caressing the side of her face before jerking his head over to the other side of the room where he could talk with Sirius and Remus without being overheard.

'I refused Lucius of course, but it seems my housemates weren't too terribly impressed with my decision,' Severus saw Sirius slump against the wide wooden window ledge and for once the brash young Gryffindor had little to say. 'They made it quite clear that I should think of it as a privilege and that the Dark Lord isn't one to simply give up when he sees something that he wants.' Severus ran a hand through his shoulder length hair and cast a look over his shoulder to check whether Lily was still snoozing. 'Avery told me that Lucius knows about Lily and myself.'

'Shit!' Sirius exclaimed softly and he lept off the window ledge to pace around the small alcove. 'She's Muggle born, and to You-Know-Who that's as bad as being a Squib.'

'He called her a fucking Mudblood and said that he hoped shagging her was worth it.' Severus spat out Avery's words between clenched teeth and Remus placed a calming hand on his friend's shoulder, helping him to regain control of himself. 'I'm only a Half-Blood; and for some supremacist's, like the Carrows or Goyles that's just as bad.'

'Slughorn must have really mouthed off about your success with Potions if he's willing to overlook that little snippet,' Sirius said bitterly as he rested one hand against the cool panes of the window, a dark frown crossing his face. 'Interfering old bastard.'

'Lucius said that I wouldn't be accepted into the group until I reached the age of majority; that's only a few months away but I guess my housemates thought they would give me a little gentle persuasion in the meantime.' Both Lily and Severus would be seventeen the following January, reaching the age of majority within the wizarding community.

'I've got an idea,' Remus offered quietly. 'But you're not going to like it.'

'Tell me, I'm pretty much open to any suggestion that would allow me to keep my internal organs in their rightful place.' Severus slid down the wall so that he was sitting on the floor with his back just lightly resting against the wall for support.

'You need to stage a very public fall out with Lily and make sure that your housemates are there to see it.' Remus spoke quickly and then held up his hand when Severus blustered out his objections. 'I said you wouldn't like it, didn't I? Listen, you need to draw their attention away from Lily if you want to keep her out of the spotlight; we can stop working on the potion for a while and tell Slughorn that it's a failure. He can then go off and tell his friends, and hopefully the Dark Lord will lose interest. Keep your head down, stay out of trouble and just get through the next two years. After we finish school we can all run off to join a commune in the States and just slip of the radar.'

'I don't know if I can get through the next two months without Lily at my side, let alone the next two years.' Severus looked distraught at the thought of not having Lily in his life and Sirius snorted loudly, causing his friends to look over in his direction.

'And there I was thinking you were the brains of this outfit,' When Severus' expression remained dismal Sirius deliberately poked his wand against a sore spot on Severus'ribs.

'Bloody hell, Sirius! Watch where you're jabbing that thing!'

'Now that I have your attention,' Sirius smirked at his friend and slid his wand back into the concealed pocket in his school trousers. 'Remus only said you had to 'stage' a public breakup, you prat. He didn't mean that you had to call things off completely. The two of you will just have to be really careful about not showing your feelings out in the open, and maybe find a better place to have a quick shag that an empty classroom.'

'Oi, watch what you say about my girlfriend you git! Lily's not like that, and I wouldn't dream of…'

'Oh, so the two of you haven't…?' Sirius smirked again as he made a crude gesture with his fingers and narrowly missed the hex aimed at his crotch from across the room. 'Oh, hello love – had a nice nap, did you?'

'I was feeling much better until I woke up hearing the three of you speak about my sex life!' Lily's eyes were blazing with fury as she glanced at the faces of the three boys crouched in the alcove. Sirius was grinning unashamedly, Remus just looked embarrassed and Severus was glaring angrily at his friend's careless words. Lily felt instantly calmer knowing that it was only a lack of poor taste on Sirius' part and she sent Remus a warm smile as she sunk down next to Severus and scooted over until her legs were draped across his lap. 'So, what's the plan?'

*********************************************************************************''

About a week later, Sirius looked up from the breakfast table and caught Severus' eye and gave a slight nod. Most of the teacher's had left the High Table and there were just a few students left scattered around the House tables but more than enough to set the rumour mill flying. They had needed to wait until now to give Severus' injuries a chance to heal up, and also for one of the most important players to return back from where he had been visiting his sick grandmother in St Mungo's – James Potter. Remus had come up with a plan to get everyone's attention moved away from Severus and Lily, and what better way to do that but with a scorching argument that would have James flying to the rescue, with a little egging on from Sirius on the side.

'Evans, I think that it's time to call our association to an end,' Severus deliberately kept his voice cold as he pushed away from the Slytherin table and approached the Gryffindors. 'It's been fun but I don't think that you have anything left to offer me…now.' Severus' eyes moved slowly over Lily's slim frame and let a sneer come over his narrow face.

'Sev? What about all the things you said? Didn't you mean any of them?' Lily forced a tear to her eye, while inside she was chuckling at all of the attention they had garnered, even the teachers leaving the breakfasts to congeal on their plates as they listened in.

'Typical Gryffindor …' Severus said coldly as his eyes raked over her once more. 'You'll believe anything …I simply told you what you wanted to hear, I got what I wanted and I don't believe that I'll be requiring a second helping …and my name is Severus, not Sev.'

'Oi, you can't talk to her like that you filthy piece of Slytherin scum!' James lept up from the table, and ran over to push Severus back from Lily. 'What happened to you, Sev?'

'I grew up, Potter …and I strongly suggest you do the same.' Severus flicked off James' hand on his chest and looked over his shoulder at where Avery and Mulciber were grinning evilly from the Slytherin table. 'I've wasted enough time on silly ideals and listening to the four of you … I'm back where I belong and quite frankly, the company is more to my taste.'

'Pillock …' Sirius muttered as he cast a slight stinging hex over at Severus, and luckily Severus caught the tell-tale hand movement and exaggerated the pain; clutching at his arm and yelping.

'Confundo!' Severus muttered back and smirked darkly as Sirius' face went slack with confusion as he glanced blankly around the hall. Remus chuckled under his breath as he sent a modified tickling hex over at Severus and waggled his eyebrow as Severus mimicked being hit with a stronger hex.

'Expelliarmus, you fang toothed prat!' Severus disarmed Remus gently, but winked subtly to let the werewolf know that it was his turn to act out.

'Foul mouth bat!' Remus growled in the back of his throat and lunged forward, tackling Severus down to the ground and whispering an apology as his fist flew out to strike Severus across the jaw.

'Get off me, your breath stings like the dog that you are!' Severus flung Remus off him and even Lily drew in a shocked breath at how violently Remus hit the table, sending overturned glasses tinkling to the ground. Remus and Severus had choreographed their fight down to the last movement with Remus telling Severus that werewolves have a much higher threshold for pain and could tolerate much more than the pulled punches that were being traded back and forth.

'Stop it! Severus, please!' Lily tried to intercede but her pleas fell on deaf ears, and when she pulled on the sleeve of Severus' school robe she found herself landing hard on the floor as he violently jerked his arm back.

'That's it! Take that, you bastard!' James spared a quick glance at his fallen friend to make sure she was uninjured before leaping over the upturned table and flinging hexes over at Severus who immediately left pounding Remus to draw his own wand.

'Stupify!'

'Tarantellegra!' James shot back the dancing feet jinx from behind Sirius' slumbering form and Severus ducked down just in time to avoid it.

'I might have known that the saintly James Potter would come riding to the rescue!' Severus panted out as he caught the warning expression in Lily's eye, he made a gesture with the flat of his palm held face down and she nodded faintly, letting him continue in the belief that it would be over soon. 'You've had your eye on her this whole time haven't you, Potter? Imagining that it was you that she was kissing, your hands over her body …'

'Shut up!' James roared out as he flung hex after hex over the table, by this time professor Sprout had left the High Table and scuttled off to bring the Deputy Headmistress back into the Great Hall as the Headmaster was occupied elsewhere for the last few days. 'You're nothing but Slytherin scum and I have no idea what a wonderful girl like Lily was doing with a greasy git like you!'

'Shut it, Potter!' Severus flung a Silencing charm over at James and saw the other boy's mouth move but no words could escape. Severus glanced over at Lily and she gave him an encouraging nod, knowing that what he would say next would hurt him deeply. Severus turned back to James and pressed his wand against his cheek. 'I've got better things to do than to waste any more time on a filthy Mudblood and her pathetic friends…Petrificus Totalus!' Severus watched as James' eyes glazed over as his body jerked once and then fell with a thud down to the hard floor, a victim of a full body bind that would likely last for a good few hours. With a whirl of his school robes, Severus stalked out of the Great Hall leaving complete chaos behind, where he collapsed shaking against the wall of the entrance hall hiding in the shadows and hoping no one was around to see his reaction.

'That was the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my whole life,' Severus was still shaking a few hours later when the quintet met for a summit meeting in the Shrieking Shack. There was a Quidditch match playing between Slytherin and Ravenclaw and as both Avery and Mulciber were on the team, they felt safe enough to slip away. James was sulking in the corner, after Sirius and Remus had taken him aside to explain the plan; he hated being kept out of anything and the way that he had felt during the fight.

'Told you we should have brought some popcorn along, this is better than going to the cinema!' Sirius and Remus settled down on an old quilt watching the way Severus was cradling Lily in his arms as she murmured sweet assurances against his shoulder.

'You reckon they've done it, yet?' Sirius asked with a grin, jerking his head over to where Severus was now murmuring quietly in Lily's ear and heard the young witch giggling softly.

'I can tell that they both want to, but I don't think so.' Remus' nostrils flared slightly as Moony caught the scent of lingering arousal floating in the air. 'One of the down sides to my condition, Moony's picked up a few things over the years that he wished he hadn't.'

'Great show today, gents.' Severus grinned at his friends as he and Lily walked over to join them. 'Anyone would think that you really had it in for me, James.'

'Yeah, well …Now you know what I'm capable of, you'll think twice about ever mistreating Lils.' James flipped Severus off and folded his arms across his chest. 'I still don't understand why I was the only one left out of the plan.'

'We needed someone to be genuinely angry enough to hex Sev properly,' Lily explained softly, walking over to press a tender kiss against James' cheek and to ruffle his messy hair playfully. 'You were the perfect hero, James.'

'Thanks,' With slightly pink cheeks, James smiled softly at Lily, instantly forgiving her; but glared at the rest of his friends. 'But I'm still pissed at the rest of you, I could have really hurt you, Sev.' Severus just raised his eyebrows challengingly and James snorted and gave a little huff. 'Oh, sod off, you git.'

'Ah, I knew you loved me really,' Severus reached over to tousle James' hair in the same way Lily had and James twisted out of his reach, going for the wand concealed in his sleeve.

'Do that again and I'll think that it's me you want to shag, rather than the lovely Miss Evans, here.' Severus blanched a little at the thought and James nodded in satisfaction, tapping his wand in the palm of his hand, 'Mischief managed.'

'I've been called in to see McGonagall after last meal to explain my actions this morning; I'll tell her that I've caught the eye of the Dark Lord and see what her reaction is.' Severus hugged Lily a little tighter to his side, dropping a kiss against her hair as he tried not to think about the possibility of losing her forever.

'You'd better have a very good reason as to why Madam Pomfrey was called to the Great Hall to release one of my fifth year students from a complete body bind. What on earth were you thinking, Mr Snape?' Professor McGonagall sat behind her ornate wooden desk and watched the quiet Slytherin student remain perfectly calm as he sat in the chair before her. 'You've been an exemplary student until now, what appears to be troubling you, Mr Snape?' Severus rose up from his chair and walked over to stare out of her office window into the night sky, his mask of indifference falling away to reveal his anxious look.

'I've been head hunted by the Dark Lord himself.' Severus finally stated, leaning his head against the window and running his hand through his long hair. 'Lucius Malfoy came to my house during the last school holidays and invited me to join him at his Manor for a party in the summer. Ever since then, my housemates have been particularly …unwelcoming.'

'I see,' McGonagall tried to keep her voice calm and even, but inside her pulse was racing and chest pounding. 'And the events in the Hall this morning?'

'Completely staged to throw Avery and Mulciber off the scent,' At McGonagall's querying look, Severus clarified his statement. 'Apparently the Dark Lord is not fond of Muggle born witches, Lucius warned me, but I paid him no attention as I had no desire to become one of his little pets.' Severus shook his head. 'I told Lucius that I was unable to attend and thought it was over. Then he started owling me; it was only when Mulciber seemed to take a particular interest in my personal correspondence that it really started to worry me.'

'So your relationship with Miss Evans still stands?' McGonagall hid a brief smile at the look of surprise that flashed across the pale man's face. 'I believe I told Sirius once before that there is very little that escape's the castle's attention.'

'Nothing has changed, Lily is still my most treasured companion and we will continue to see each other but away from prying eyes.'

'Good, I think the two of you make a lovely couple.' McGonagall tapped her finger against the side of her cheek thoughtfully. 'What if Miss Evans were to be seen around the school with someone that you have recently sparred with?'

'You mean James?' Severus grinned as remembered the narrow escape he had from some of James' attempts after breakfast. 'To tell you the truth, I'd rather Lily was paired up with anyone rather than James.'

'And why is that, Mr Snape?'

'Because underneath all of that bluster, James is a solid man with a heart of gold; he would be just the person I'd see Lily paired up with if she wasn't with me.' Severus looked completely miserable as he spoke freely with the Deputy Headmistress and she felt completely useless in offering the young man her assistance, not knowing what the Headmaster would do in the same situation.

'My advice is to keep a low profile over the next few weeks, let Miss Evans be seen at the side of Mr Potter and we will see if Mr Malfoy makes another attempt at contacting you again.' McGonagall rose up from her chair, and Severus took that as a sign of dismissal. 'Mr Snape, please contact me immediately should you hear anything further; I will speak with the headmaster on his return; and try not to worry too much about Miss Evans; I've a feeling that Mr Potter isn't quite the fairy tale Prince that she had in mind.' McGonagall winked cheekily at the young man, referring to his mother's maiden name of Prince and Severus felt a little lighter as he made his way over to the Great Hall for dinner, slipping a note into Lily's hand as he passed the Gryffindor table.

The next few weeks dragged by like every day was a week; Severus was forced to sit idly by and watch one of his best friends publicly romance his girlfriend, and even knowing it was completely forced, Severus still felt his stomach churning with nerves every time Lily laughed at something James did or said.


End file.
